


The Ghost's Spell

by Starfall16



Category: Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: F/M, authorteamup
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-28
Updated: 2018-02-03
Packaged: 2019-03-10 18:59:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13507776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starfall16/pseuds/Starfall16
Summary: Hera Syndulla travels to Dathomir alone for a simple op, and finds herself possessed. The Ghost Crew have to try to save her and save themselves from a possessed pilot out to kill them all, one who has the ship under her command.





	1. Set Course for Dathomir

**Author's Note:**

> This is a piece written with tumblr user @i-dont-run-i-read Please check her out!

When the crew had left they’d never expected to go back. Seriously. Never ever go back. Which is quite probably why Hera insisted she went alone, much to Kanan’s objection.  
“I’ll be fine luv.” She reassured him, loading her final supplies into the Phantom. “It’s just a routine op.”  
“You shouldn’t be going back, especially not on your own. Last time we were there the nightsisters almost killed us!” Kanan blocked her path, standing in front of the ladder used for climbing back down to the Ghost in order to gain the twi’lek woman’s full attention.  
“Well then, it’s simple! I’ll just make sure to avoid them.” Hera smiled at her own sarcastic remark as she pushed past him, sliding effortlessly down the ladder.  
“That’s not how it works Hera.” Kanan rolled his eyes, climbing down after her. He knew she was joking, but he also knew that this wasn’t funny. He caught up to her in the cockpit, where she was programming hyperspace coordinates into one of the Ghost’s large control panels.  
“I’ll be gone for less than two rotations, and as long as the Ghost stays on track I should easily be able to meet you all in the outer rim rendezvous like we discussed. I’ll have the weapons before you know it.” The twi’lek smiled sincerely. He was so cute when he worried like this.   
“We already have enough weapons, is this mission really necessary?”  
“They’re not for us. They’re for the rest of the fleet, so yes.” She put her gloved hand on his shoulder. “Stop worrying dear. It’ll be okay.” She took a quick look around to see if any other members of her little rebellious crew were around. Upon seeing that the coast was clear, she kissed him goodbye.   
She left him behind her as she walked on, and without even looking she knew he wore that silly grin. He always did, no matter how many times she kissed him. She made her way up into the pilot’s seat of the Phantom and closed the hatch.  
“Good luck.” Kanan’s voice came through the com system.  
“Don’t die.” So did Ezra’s.  
“Blow something up. I don’t mind what, but with the bombs you’re taking it’ll look amazing from above.” Sabine’s too, and Zeb and Chopper were definitely arguing in the background. Then Hera was gone. The Ghost kept on its steady course, while the smaller vessel with the pilot inside started on its own course to the dark and desolate planet of Dathomir.  
When Hera arrived, the planet was in darkness. However, this was hardly surprising considering a large red star high above her was the only thing that illuminated it. There was an unsettling aura to the planet as well, something that threw her off her usual mindset. An unusual presence that made her want to climb directly back into the Phantom and fly home to the safety and comfort of Kanan and her family.   
Yet something drew her in further. Something deep in the caves, visible from the small vessel’s landing sight. At first she thought nothing of it, it was simply a thought in her mind. But the dark rises, and light comes to interfere. There is only one thing faster than the speed of life, and it isn’t a starship or its pilot. No matter where light goes or how fast it travels, there will always be the darkness waiting to snuff it out.


	2. A Mother's Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment and tell me what you think!

The weapons were far from what Hera was expecting. They were nowhere to be seen, which mildly confused her. They’d been sighted by a passing ship who had informed the fleet of their location. If they were visible from above, they should’ve been visible from below, Or at least have left an indent in the ground as they were removed. That was assuming they were crates of explosives though, the mission details were vague.   
They could be explosives, or guns, or anything in between. She just knew that they’d been abandoned and now she was assigned to retrieve them. Hera tried to withdraw herself from the darkness in the caves, to pull away from its grasp, but it was still reaching out to her. Before she left, Kanan had warned that the dark side was powerful on Dathomir. He had warned her that it was surrounded by dark energy, a sort of magnet for the worst creatures in the galaxy. But how awful could it really be? She trusted Kanan like she trusted herself. He was her other half, her best friend, lover and constant companion. But he could be overprotective, and he would exaggerate to keep his family safe. Which, although adorable, wasn’t much use when a mission was mandatory. Maybe there was something in that cave. The weapons? Possibly. Something else? Probably. Something they needed, something that followed her wherever she went on the swampy planet. Something she couldn’t shake off. She ran her finger down the side of her boot, her weapon was loaded and secure, so if anything did come too near she could attack and run.   
She was pretty fast, and good with a blaster. She could scare any creatures away, or draw them in if it was necessary. Without another thought she felt herself move closer, as though her feet weren’t moving themselves. Like she was being carried by an invisible being. The darkness was no longer rising, it just stayed as it was. Yet something made her shiver as she stepped into shadow.  
It was far darker than she’d anticipated, the small amount of light that shone off her blaster intended to illuminate the target wasn’t making much difference, and she had to squint to see what surrounded her. All she could see was a few dark columns of rock that cast looming shadows into the clearing. Something lightly glowing in the corner caught her eye, green, glistening smoke fading out of a flat piece of stone that had been rigidly burnt in half. She ran her finger along the edge, but strangely it had no heat to it. For such a recently burnt sculpture it was truly stone cold. It left a brown ash on her gloves which seemed uncomfortably familiar. The leftover ash of a lightsaber burn. No matter what the blade hit it would disintegrate into the same brown ash, which had been cleaned up around the Ghost more than a few times. That’s when the realisation hit her. Kanan, Ezra, and Sabine had been here. They’d fought here. This was the exact place she’d been warned to avoid. She had to go before something bad happened to her too.  
“Hera.” A voice startled her. Immediately Hera whipped her head around, her lekku lightly hitting her in the face as she rapidly glanced into the darkness. Maybe it was a trick of the mind, a slip of the tongue if you will, but she was sure she recognised the sound.  
“Hello?” Hera’s reply was shaky. She wasn’t scared. The young twi’lek rarely got scared, but something about the voice made her feel uneasy. Her reply echoed off the walls and came back to her rigid frame. “Hello?” It was all in her head. She was alone in the cave, and alone on the planet.  
“Hera?” The voice came again, this time more as a cry. “Hera Syndulla?” It was recognisable, distinctively gentle and soothing. But it still made Hera shudder.  
“Hello?” Hera stepped forwards, hoping the owner of the voice might reveal themselves. Maybe that wasn’t the answer they needed. “Yes.” She swallowed as she walked back into the center of the clearing. “Yes. It’s me.”  
“How you’ve grown.” The voice couldn’t be pinpointed to a spot. It just seemed to be everywhere, in every shadowy section of the cave. It surrounded her from everyone angle, closing in around her.   
“Who. Are. You.” Hera lowered her thumb onto the trigger of her blaster. She would only usually shoot if it was absolutely necessary, but this time could be an exception. She hadn’t quite fallen back into the rhythm of solo missions. “Fulcrum?” No. No matter who it was Fulcrum only ever sent audio signals so they could mask themselves from the empire. They wouldn’t talk face-to-face unless it was an emergency situation, which this certainly wasn’t. She paused to rethink her word choice. “Are you with those who stand against the empire?”  
“Maybe?” The voice sounded more feminine now, or maybe Hera was just getting used to its presence. “I am with you Hera. I stand with you.” A shadow fell from the ceiling nearby to where Hera was stood, but appeared not to land, rather just disappear.  
“I don’t understand.”  
“I wouldn’t expect you to.” Hera knew someone was behind her now, she spun quick on her heels and stared at what now stood before her. Someone in a cloak that covered their hands and feet, but revealed her face. It was almost a mirror to whom was looking upon it. A young, green faced, wide eyed twi’lek. It took Hera a moment, as the being looked so much like herself, but as soon as she recognised her she felt tears sting her eyes. She ran towards the figure, so enchanted by her spell, but felt its frame slip through her fingertips. “What?” She looked at the empty space in her view. Was it all a trick of the mind? A phantom touch? Was there really just her in the cave? She felt a hand on her shoulder, and immediately glanced over, her mind falling to Kanan’s comfortable touch. But of course, it was just Hera and the figure. “It’s impossible.” Hera turned fully so they were face to face. “How are you here?” She reached out again, her hand falling lifeless as she tried to rest it on the other girl’s shoulder.  
“In spirit.” Her mother replied. “I need your help Hera. I need you to do something for me.”  
“Anything for you Mother.” Hera bowed her head to her Mother, having not spoken to her in years. “What is it I can do?” Her accent slid into her words as she became a little emotional, her mother, though only in spirit, was there. She’d recognised Hera and she’d spoken to her, Hera was reunited with one of her biggest heroes.  
“I need you Hera.”  
“To do what Mother? I will do anything for you.”  
“No.” Her mother placed a hand on Hera’s shoulder. Hera could feel her touch, but she was cold and it was wrong. “I need you. Without flesh and blood, my sisters and I cannot reform our beloved society, and without our beloved society. We have nowhere to go. Will you help us dear?” There was definitely something wrong, Hera could sense it, but something felt so right too. What she was saying was nonsense, about sisters and society, but it was still her mother. And why would her mother ever try to hurt her?  
“Anything.” Hera confirmed, bowing her head once more, and, with that, her mother dissolved into thick glistening green smoke that entered Hera as though she had no flesh to herself at all.


	3. Lovey Dovey

Kanan was worried out of his mind. He kept pacing around the cockpit, trying to connect to Hera’s com every five minutes even though she was far out of range. A few times he went into his room to meditate, but returned within half an hour, complaining that he couldn’t focus. The rest of the crew barely noticed she was gone. Well they noticed, but they weren't worried. The mission was tough, but so was Hera. It wasn’t anything she couldn’t handle. Nevertheless, Kanan worried.

“Kanan’s officially lost it.” Ezra walked into Sabine’s room, interrupting her from the kaleidoscope of colour she was painting on her wall.

“He lost it a long time ago.” Sabine replied, turning back to her painting.

“Well yeah.” Ezra continued. “He’s worried about Hera. Sabine, I think he’s in love with her.”

“What gave you that idea?” Zeb ducked as he entered the room, he probably could’ve made it through without doing so, but better safe than sorry. His tone was more than sarcastic. “The lovey-dovey nicknames, or the fact they probably makeout on the couch in the commons when we’re asleep?” He leaned up against the wall. Ezra imitated him, until Chopper rolled in and straight over his foot. Then Ezra sat on Chopper, much to the droid’s disgust.

“Oh joy. We’re all in here, all the kids are together.” Sabine put down her sprayer and turned to actually engage in conversation with the others, obviously a little annoyed to have been interrupted. “They don’t do that...” She paused, as if thinking back. “They probably don’t do that… and I wouldn’t say all nicknames are lovey-dovey.”

“Love.” Zeb grumbled, he wasn’t angry, but sometimes his voice sounded gruff. Especially when trying to keep his voice down.

“Dear.” Ezra added. Chopper made a noise that probably translated to something of the same idea.

“Well obviously those are lovey-dovey, but in a general sense.” The boys didn’t even understand what Sabine was defending. Sabine didn’t really understand herself what she was defending. She changed the subject quickly. “He’ll be fine when Hera’s back and she’ll be back within a rotation. Just give him space.”

“Yeah kid. Just give him space.” Zeb hit Ezra playfully, almost pushing him off Chopper, who rebuked by speeding out of the room, with Ezra still carefully balanced on top him. Zeb followed and once again it was Sabine and her artwork.

“Bye Sabine!” Ezra screamed as he left the room, Zeb laughed at the young boy.

“Bye Bridger.” Sabine smiled to her herself, but she wasn’t really sure why she was smiling, so she hurriedly hid her smile away as she carried on painting. That was until Kanan literally ran past her door, towards the cockpit. The rest of the crew assumed the worst, so followed like dogs at his heels, but there was no enemy around. At least not in sight anyway. Rather Kanan frantically surfing com channels and yelling into the system.  
“Spectre 2? Spectre 2 do you read?”

No reply. Sabine pushed him out of the way and slid into the pilot’s seat, connecting the Ghost to the usual frequency.

“There. Now you can talk to your girlfriend.” She rolled her eyes and slid back out as easily as she’d slid in. With elegance but also annoyance.

“Spectre 2? Spectre 2 can you hear me? Hera can you hear me?”

“Yes Darling, I hear you.” Hera’s voice was staticky but in range. “I’m almost there.”

Ezra elbowed Sabine lightly.

“Ooh Darling. That’s a new one.” He whispered in her ear, Sabine elbowed him back, Smiling again.


End file.
